The West Wing

Setting: Washington, DC
Time: mid-July 2004

A young man, Filipino and age 21 with short hair and blond highlights, lies asleep on a charter bus, as his 30 friends in the PPIA Program being to chatter about the sites of a Capitol building that grows larger as they approach it. The young man has white earphones and an iPod next to him and can barely hear what is being said. He hears the sounds of classical music that puts him to sleep. As the chatter grows louder, the young man looks up and sees a ghetto that he passes by--he doesn't notice the Capitol building in front of him. He falls back asleep.

The camera pans to the front of the bus, where the driver takes notice and calls the students' attention.

"You've all been waiting for this moment. Look ahead of you, we'll be passing the Capitol building."

The young man looks up and sees the heads of all his friends facing forward in awe. The darkness of the faces on the bus contrast with the whiteness of the city that surrounds them.

[ play The West Wing theme ]

The young man gets off the bus and looks around the city in awe. His feet and hands sweat with anticipation. He is astounded by the city and all of what it has to offer. He stands before Grand Central Station and looks at the majesty of the people that have been called to the City.

He could only capture the beauty of his experience with his camera, and he was amazed with what was in store.

The Capitol building was nothing, compared to the Lincoln Memorial or the World War II Memorial. He experienced this fantasy with his friends. One of them, a tall and beautiful lady named Krishna, took a photo with him at the World War II Memorial.

They defied the laws of gravity, floating on water with their thug look; the Lincoln Memorial was only a speck in the background. They were in power. They felt the calling. They were called to serve.

This was the beginning...